An Asynchronous Transfer Mode (“ATM”) network is made up of an ATM switch 5 and ATM endpoints 10. The ATM switch 5 is responsible for cell transit through an ATM network. The job of an ATM switch 5 is to accept the incoming cells from an ATM endpoint 10 or another ATM switch 5. It then reads and updates the cell-header information and quickly switches the cell to an output interface toward its destination. An ATM endpoint 10 contains an ATM network interface adapter. Examples of ATM endpoints are workstations, routers, digital service units (DSUs), Remote Terminals, LAN switches, and video coder-decoders (CODECs). FIG. 1 illustrates an ATM network made up of ATM switches 5 and ATM endpoints 10. Virtual channels are provisioned and dedicated paths that pass through a number of ATM switches 5 and end points 10 that allow for a circuit switched type connection in a packet-based network. A virtual path is a logically associated group of virtual channels that pass through the same components in one or more ATM switches.
The ATM reference model utilizes the following layers: (i) a physical layer that is analogous to the physical layer of the OSI reference model and manages the medium-dependent transmission; (ii) an ATM layer, which is roughly analogous to the data link layer of the OSI reference model and is responsible for establishing channels and passing cells through the ATM network; and (iii) ATM adaptation layers (AAL) that translates higher layer services into the size and format of an ATM cell. In order to establish and pass through cells, the ATM switch 5 translates and routes each cell that it receives. To do this, the ATM switch 5 uses information in the header of each ATM cell. The information includes, for example: (i) a Virtual Channel Identifier (VCI), which identifies the virtual channel of the cell, and (ii) a Virtual Path Identifier (VPI) that identifies the virtual path of the cell. The ATM switch typically performs this function by utilizing a look-up table.
Communication to end-users from the high bandwidth backbone network, commonly called the “last mile”, is provided by coaxial cable networks, Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL), which are most commonly Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lines, twisted pair modem connections, or wireless connections. DSL technology encompasses a variety of technologies including but not limited to asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), symmetric digital subscriber line (SDSL) including G.SHDSL, high bit rate digital subscriber line (HDSL), very high bit rate digital subscriber line VHDSL, and rate adaptive digital subscriber line (RDSL). In the case of DSL, a central office terminal is typically connected to a high bandwidth network, e.g. a DS1, DS2, DS3, or DS4 network. The central office terminal is coupled to a remote terminal that provides the DSL connection to the end user. The remote terminals often utilize minimal processing capabilities in order to reduce their cost.
In ATM networks most of the monitoring occurs at the physical layer, meaning that the individual units, e.g. ATM switches, LAN switches, remote terminals, and end units, in the network provide alarms or other error message when problems with physical transmission are determined. However, physical layer monitoring does not monitor the virtual channels at the ATM layer, specifically the queuing, routing and translation functions that provide the virtual channel functionality through different elements in the network. Since ATM and DSL connections have extremely high throughputs the inability to test the channel as a whole or in part can result in missing translation or routing problems that can result in cells being transmitted along incorrect virtual channels.
In addition, ATM utilizes Operations and Maintenance (OAM) layer functions to perform testing at the AAL. OAM cells are injected to test either virtual paths or provisioned virtual channels and can be sent from the testing apparatus to an end point or can be looped back between any two ATM nodes along the virtual path or virtual channel. However, OAM cells are limited to ATM links in the network and generally require processing capability in each of ATM switches or end units that the OAM cell passes because the cell identity is contained in the cell payload and these cells cannot be readily distinguished from data cells. This increases the cost of the equipment needed for the end points that in turn drives up the overall cost of the ATM system.
Therefore, it is desired to have an effective and low cost method for testing virtual paths and virtual channels of ATM networks.